Sous chef exploring the food culture in NYC…and beyond!

Gourmet

JetBlue is trying to prove an airline can provide an affordable “first class” experience, with all the bells and whistles, for a decent price. It’s not only the comfortable seats, early boarding and the free Wi-fi that are amongst the great amenities. The brightest has to be the food.

The JetBlue Mint service offers a menu worthy of a five star restaurant. JetBlue has consulted with New York City’s Saxon+Parole executive chef to develop a menu composed seasonal, small plates. The menu also includes artisan sweets from Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery and Blue Marble Ice Cream. No corners are cut in table service here.

What do you get when you stuff a ‘hot dog’ into a baguette? Dogmatic has turned the common ‘hot dog on a bun’ into a gourmet meal. Dogmatic’s motto is, “Good Food that’s Fast for You.” After all, their meat, chicken and pork are hormone-free, grass-fed and free-range. I ordered a ‘sausage dog,’ which is served in a hollowed-out roll. Instead of mustard or ketchup you can choose from a selection of gourmet sauces that go inside the hollowed-out roll before the ‘sausage dog’ is placed in.

Side options include: non-fried fries or cheese fries, truffle mac ‘n cheese and some healthier fare, in the form of, grilled asparagus or tomato and basil salad. I had to try the truffle mac ‘n cheese to see how it compared, and I wasn’t disappointed. It was rich and creamy and served in a small cup – just enough so I would feel the affects of carb-loading with all the pasta and bread I consumed. And you can top off your meal with one of their handmade sodas, made some fruit purees, and offering some not so common flavors – ginger, coconut and pomegranate. And being nutritionally responsible, even though Dogmatic isn’t required to, they have the menu’s nutritional facts listed on their Web site – listing calories, fat/gm and sodium content! Impressive!

Culinary icon Julia Child turns 100 years old on August 15, 2012. To celebrate this enormous milestone, over 100 restaurants across the U.S. will participate in Julia Child Restaurant Week from August 7 – August 15. Some restaurants will serve some of Child’s favorite dishes, while others will serve their own interpretations of some of her classic plates. This event is being sponsored by Knopf Publishing, which plans to wrap up the week’s celebration with the release their publication, “Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child.” Some of the New York restaurants involved in the Julia Child Restaurant Week include: Aureole, Buvette, Jeanne & Gaston, Madison Bistro, Marea and Union Square Café. Enjoy!